Junk food favorites: Splurge day recipes that are delicious but not so nutritious

Published: Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at 03:28 PM.

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The Food section often focuses on healthy eating. But with National Junk Food Day coming up on July 21, we’ve decided to let nutrition temporarily take the back seat.

We’ve all got our guilty pleasure foods. It could be candy bars, chips, fried foods or anything loaded with bacon or smothered with cheese. For me, it’s cupcakes, Reese Cups and deep dish pizza. Of course, I know I can’t have these things regularly, but that makes them taste all the more delicious when I decide to have a splurge day.

Here are recipes for a not-so-healthy appetizer, meal and dessert for when you’re due for a treat. They may be high in calories, but they’re also high in taste and satisfaction.

Arrange waffle fries in a greased 15-inch by 10-inch by 1-inch baking pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with steak seasoning; toss to combine. Top with remaining ingredients. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

The Food section often focuses on healthy eating. But with National Junk Food Day coming up on July 21, we’ve decided to let nutrition temporarily take the back seat.

We’ve all got our guilty pleasure foods. It could be candy bars, chips, fried foods or anything loaded with bacon or smothered with cheese. For me, it’s cupcakes, Reese Cups and deep dish pizza. Of course, I know I can’t have these things regularly, but that makes them taste all the more delicious when I decide to have a splurge day.

Here are recipes for a not-so-healthy appetizer, meal and dessert for when you’re due for a treat. They may be high in calories, but they’re also high in taste and satisfaction.

Arrange waffle fries in a greased 15-inch by 10-inch by 1-inch baking pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with steak seasoning; toss to combine. Top with remaining ingredients. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Unroll pizza crust into a lightly greased 15-inch by 10-inch by 1-inch baking pan; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Brush dough with 3 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce. Combine cheddar and mozzarella cheeses; sprinkle a third over the crust. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the chicken, garlic salt, pepper and chili powder in butter until chicken is no longer pink. Add the remaining wing sauce; cook and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Spoon over cheese. Sprinkle with oregano and remaining cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing.

In a large bowl, combine crushed cookies and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan; set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, flour, vanilla and salt. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in 3/4 cup chopped cookies. Pour into crust. Top with remaining chopped cookies.

Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan.